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(No Model.) W. H. DOUGLASS APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURB'OF ILLUMINATINGGAS. I No. 293.854. Patented Feb. 19, 1884;

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UNITE STATES P PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM II. DO'UGLASS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA., ASSIGNORTO THE NORTHAMERICAN PETROLEUM GAS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTUREOF ILLUMINATING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,854, dated February19, I884.

Application filed May 25, 1883. (No model.)

State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inApparatus for the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of illuminating gas fromsubstances suitable therefor of a solid, semi-solid,or liquid form,

such as, for illustration, resins of commerce and fats, together withvarious hydrocarbons, such as petroleum and its distillates and otheroils. In treating the substances referred to in order to eliminatetherefrom the olefiant or illuminating principles, they have to besubjected to what is known as the destructivedistillation process, andin carrying out that process one form of retort was employed when thesolid gas-producing substance was used, and a different form when theliquid gas-producing substance was used. a

My invention has for its objects the produc tion of a generator in whichthe gas can be produced from either asolid, semi-solid, or liquidsubstance, as found desirable or convenient, and in which there is apreliminary disassociation of the component parts of the solid orsemi-solid substances employed, so that only the liquefied parts of thesubstances will be fed to the retort in regulated quantities, while theresiduary matter may be removed; and to these ends it consists in themeans hereinafterparticularly setforth,whereby an illuminating-gas ofgreat purity and brilliancy is produced. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of anapparatus constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2-is a verticalsection through the same, and Fig. 3 is a plan of the slotted flange onwhich the retort is supported.

Referring to said drawings, the letter A indicates the casing of thestove or heater provided with a fire-box, B, a grate, C, an ashpit, D,and a smoke-flue, E, and preferably made in cross-sections, so that theupper section may be lifted or removed to permit actending inwardly fromthe sides of the casing,

so as to divide the easing into two chambers, one above and the otherbelow the retorts, both of which communicate with the smokeflue, asshown, and also with each other, through openings or slots 1), made inthe ring or flange G, which openings may be provided with sliding orpivoted dampers or valves, so as to permit the products of combustionand heat to pass through both the upper and lower chambers of thecasing, or through only the lower chamber, as desired. The retort is ofcylindrical or other appropriate form, closed at bottom, and providedwitha removable cover, which, when in place, completely closes the upperportion of the retort, and has a groove, 0, formed in its flange a,designed to hold a quantity of metal alloyreducible at a lowtemperature,'which will form a seal between the retorts and thereservoir H when the downwardly-projecting rim cl of the latter is setinto the alloy. The retort is provided within its 'interior with aseries of horizontal plates, I,

each one of which is formed with a cup or groove, 6, on its top face,around its edge, and also, with the exception of the lowermost, whichhas legs resting on the bottom of the retorts, with adownwardly-projecting rim, 6, which rests in the groove or cup of theplate next below, so that when the grooves or cups are filled with sand,plaster-of-paris, pumicestone, or other suitable material, a seal willbe effected, so as to close all communication between the chambersthemselves formed by the plates and the chambers and the sides of theretort, except through the openings f, formed in the plates at alternateends. The plates are provided each with a lifting-ring, g, and theseries is held together by rods J, passed vertically through them, andprovided with heads at one end and nuts at the other, so that the wholeseries of plates can be lifted together or separately by unscrewing thenuts and raising the plate from off the rods. provided, preferably nearits upper end, with The retort is an evacuating-tube, K, provided with acap or groove around its mouth, to receive a sealing material and theend of the pipe L, which conducts the gas to an ordinary washer, (notshown) and which is provided with a cock to regulate the flow of gas.

The reservoir H, in addition to the rim (1, formed by theextension ofits sides, is provided with a downwardly-proj ectin g flange, d, whichfits into the cup or groove of the platebeneath, containing sealingmaterial, like the other cups. The reservoir titted to the retort, asdescribed, forms a detachable cover therefor, and communicates with thetop chamber of the retortthrough an opening, 71, in itsbottom,controlledby a valve, 1', operated by a rod, ill, passed-through a threaded gland,i, at the top of the reservoir, and out through the casing C, where itis provided with any suitable hand device for turningit to regulate theflow of the liquid gas-producing material from the reservoir into theretort. The bottom of the res ervoir is eoncaved or depressed at thecenter, so as to facilitate the flow of oil from the reservoir into theretort, and above the concave bottom is a slatted or reticulated falsebottom, N, on which the solid-or semi-solid gasproducing substance isplaced during the process of liquefying it, and which holds the residuumand prevents it from passing onto the concave bottom and into theretort. The gas-produe ing substance is introduced into the reservoirthrough the tube 0, which passes through the casing G, and is providedaround its mouth with a cup or groove to hold a sealing mate rial-suchas moistened clay or something else as suitable-and to receive the rimor flange of the cover P,which is provided with hinged ends adapted toengage with staples on the tube, and by pins held in place. Thematerial,after its introduction into the reservoir, is liquefied by heatradiated from the retort against the bottom of the reservoir, or by theheat and products of combustion arising from the fire-box upward aroundthe retort, and through the slotted ring orfiange to and around thereservoir in the space between it and the casing, and whatever matterevolved from the liqucfying material that should be allowed to escapefinds its exit through a trap or siphon overflow-pipe, P, which holdsany suitable liquid that will prevent the inflow of air or escape ofgas, and which is located by preference below the tube 0, and adapted tobe connected outside of the casing with a pipe for conducting theevolved matters to any desired point. In order to obtain a somewhatequalized pressure throughout the retort and reservoir, so as tomaintain a satisfactory flow of oil from the reservoir into the retort,a pipe or tube, Q, is extended from the retort through the bottom of thereservoir and upward into the tube 0. \Vhen hydrocarbons of a liquidform are to be used instead of the other substances, they are introducedthrough a pipe, R,which extends from near the bottom of the reservoir toout-side of the casing,wl1ere it will be connected to apipelcading fromthe source of supply, and the ilow of the oil through said pipe into thereservoir will be controlled by a cock in the valve.

In operation the valve i is closed and the reservoir filled to less thanhalf of its capacity-sa-yto about one -quarter of its eapaci tywith thesolid or semisolid gas-producing material, so as to allow for itsexpansion, and the tube 0 closed. The fire is then started, and when theretort reaches a cherryred heat the valve i is opened, and the liquidfrom the gas-producin g substance will run into the top chamber of theretort, and there be coir verted into a vapor, and from thence it willpass into each successive chamber, and from the lowermost chamberbetween its logs into the space between the retort and easing, fromwhence it issues through the evacuating-tube a perfectly-fixed gas, itsconversion into a fixed gas being by graduated stages. The gas passesfrom the evacuating-tube into an ordinary washer, (not shown,) and fromthence to the gas-holder, and after a sufficient quantity has beengenerated the valve i is closed and the generator allowed to cool. lVhenthe generator is to be freed from the residuum dcposited therein, theupper part of the casing is detached and the reservoir lifted, so as toallow the free ingress of air to the retort, which will sustaincombustion to such an extent that the residuary matter will be convertedinto flame and ash, and the latter can be readily removed when theretort becomes sufficicntly cool to admit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The casinghaving at or near its center a ring or flange provided withperforations, a retort suspended from such ring and containing a seriesof plates having alternating openings, a pipe leading from the retortfor carrying oit' the gas, a rcscrvoirhavinga rim forming a cover to theretort, and having a bottom provided with a valve-opening, a valve forcontrolling said opening to regulate the supply of gas-producingmaterial to the retort, a reticulated false bottom in the reservoirabove its main bottom, and means for charging the reservoir,substantially as described.

2. In a hydrocarbon-gas generator, a retort provided with a seal-cup atits upper end, a series of communicating vaporizing-chambers, and anevacuating-tubecommunicating therewith, in combination with a reservoirfitting in the seal-cup of the retort, and provided with a valvedopening communicating with the retort, a supplemental grated orreticulated bottom, and means for supplying either liquid or othergas-producing substances thereto, substantially as described.

3. In a hydrocarbongas generator, the retort provided with a series 01'vaporizingchambers, and a seal-cup to both the retort and partitionplateof the top chamber, in combination with bination of the sectionalcasing, the retort provided with a seal-cup around its top, and thedetachable reservoir fitting into the seal-cup of the retort and closingthe top of the latter, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the retort provided with a sealcup around itsupper end, a series of communicating vaporizing chambers formed ofplates provided with cups and rimsfitting 20 together, as set forth, adetachable reservoir having a rim and flange fitting into the cup of theretort and top partition-plate thereof, and provided with the grated orreticulated bottom, the valve for regulating the flow of 25 hydrocarboninto the retort, and the tubes for the introduction of liquid orother-gas-producing substance, the equalizing -pipe, and the siphon ortrap overflow, substantially as de scribed.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. DOUGLASS.

Witnesses:

' JAMES L. NoRRIs, J. A. RUTHERFORD.

